Aquatic Therapy after Breast Cancer

Aquatic Therapy has been shown to benefit in the recovery of post-mastectomy patients. Often after breast cancer treatment patients can experience muscle and tissue contracture and lymphedema.

Lymphedema is the swelling of tissues due to the build-up of lymph fluid in the body. This is a common side effect for many patients after cancer treatment and can lead to pain and potential infection. Physical Therapy, including aquatic therapy after breast cancer has been found to be a great treatment option to help reduce lymphedema.

Post-Mastectomy patients can experience significant muscle and tissue contracture. Aquatic therapy is a great option for breaking up tissue adhesions, increasing range of motion, and strengthening.

Why Aquatic Exercise after breast cancer/post-mastectomy?

• Warm water provides resistance, assisting in venous return.

• Hydrostatic Pressure provides compression which decreases edema

• Muscle contractions improves lymphatic flow.

• Exercises in the water help to improve ROM, posture, and endurance.

Pritchette Physical Therapy offers aquatic therapy after breast cancer. Contact our office at 480-785-5415 for more information and to schedule your appointment.

Benefits of Aquatic Therapy during Pregnancy

How does Aquatic Therapy benefit Pregnancy?

Aquatic therapy has great benefits for pregnant women. Every woman has a different experience during pregnancy and many women even have different experiences each time they are pregnant. The most common pregnancy symptoms include fatigue and body aches, which can be managed with aquatic therapy.

During pregnancy, a women’s body goes through many changes which can lead to many different physical ailments. Performing therapeutic exercises in the pool can be extremely beneficial during this time. Not only does the water help relax and soothe aching muscles, it eliminates the uneasiness many feel when walking around. The buoyancy of the water can be rejuvenating, while increasing energy and flexibility and decreasing the risk of falls. These have all been cited as common benefits of aquatic exercise. Other medical benefits of aquatic therapy include:

• Reduces swelling in the legs, ankles and feet. The hydrostatic pressure of water naturally increases circulation and decreases swelling in lower extremities.

• According to some studies, exercising in water is lest stressful on the fetus.

• Maintaining a exercise regime during pregnancy helps with maintaining a health weight and assists with weight loss after pregnancy.

• Exercising in water reduces the risk of injury due to low impact.

• Aquatic therapy can help reduce back pain as a result of weight gain. The best way to avoid lower back pain is to strengthen muscles in your core and legs.

Pritchette Physical Therapy offers aquatic therapy to women during pregnancy in Ahwatukee and Foothills/Club West. Want to learn more about the benefits of aquatic therapy during pregnancy? Contact our office at 480-785-5415.

How Scraping Technique can help with injury recovery

What is Scraping Technique?

Scraping is a treatment technique using tools which enables clinicians to efficiently locate and treat soft tissue tightness and injury. The scraping instruments help break up these adhesions and restore normal tissue mobility, just like any other form of soft tissue mobilization or deep tissue massage. This technique is used in conjunction with soft tissue work, joint mobilization, and/or therapeutic exercise, thus correcting many musculoskeletal issues that cause pain.

What should be expected from Scraping Technique?

Scraping is performed by a trained physical therapist and is a very safe technique. The treatment itself can be uncomfortable, it is pretty common to experience some discomfort, petechiae, or redness during the treatment and some soreness the day after treatment. In rare cases, some bruising may occur which may last for 24-48 hours.

What are the benefits of Scraping Technique?

Scraping benefits the injury healing process by reducing pain, increasing range of motion, removing tissue adhesions, and swelling reduction.

When would my physical therapy treatment include Scraping Technique?

Your physical therapist will determine if the Scraping Technique is right for you. Common conditions that my benefit from the Scraping Technique are tendonitis and strain/sprain injuries.

Both our Ahwatukee and Ahwatukee Foothills locations have trained physical therapists that can utilize this technique in treating a wide variety of conditions. Contact our office at 480-785-5415 to learn more.

Benefits of Aquatic Therapy for Knee Pain

Some patients experience knee pain that makes it difficult for them to begin land based physical therapy programs and will opt to push the rehabilitation process out. Unfortunately, this can lead to more pain and weakness and delay recovery.

For these patients, aquatic therapy for knee pain is a great option. The warm water helps stimulate good blood flow and the buoyancy provided by the pool decreases pressure and stress on the knee joint. The decrease in pain helps encourage stretching and strengthening of the knee joint.

Aquatic therapy is effective in helping treat osteoarthritis knee pain, pre/post knee surgical procedures, muscle weakness, and balance/gait issues.

Pritchette Physical Therapy offers aquatic therapy for knee pain at both of our Ahwatukee locations. Contact our office at 480-785-5415 to schedule your aquatic therapy today!

What to Expect with Aquatic Therapy?

Pritchette Physical Therapy now offers Aquatic Therapy to Ahwatukee and Ahwatukee Foothills. With the launch of this program in May, we want to share with you what to expect with Aquatic Therapy.

What is Aquatic Therapy?

Aquatic therapy is a term that refers to exercises performed in water for fitness and physical rehabilitation. Therapeutic exercises performed in the water can bring relief to those who suffer from various neuromuscular or musculoskeletal disorders. The specific properties of water make aquatic therapy much different from land based physical therapy as individuals can use water for resistance in place of gravity or weights.

Aquatic therapy allows individuals to benefit from less pressure on the joints, reduced inflammation, and a safe environment to improve balance and strength. It is also a great option for individuals who are unable to exercise on land as they can improve their strength and endurance to recover or improve from their condition.

Our Aquatic Therapy Program provides a very good workout without the pain, stress, and muscle fatigue often associated with land-based exercises.

When should I choose Aquatic Therapy?

If you have an injury or illness that causes a limitation in functional mobility, you may benefit from aquatic therapy to help you fully return to your baseline mobility and to get back to your normal activity level.

Most aquatic therapy sessions will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour based on your individual needs and tolerance. Our aquatic physical therapist will determine the length of your program.

Are there any restrictions for Aquatic Therapy?

If you currently have an open wound, skin infection, or allergies to pool chemicals then aquatic therapy may not be right for you.  Your physical therapist will determine this during your initial evaluation.

What should be expected from my Aquatic Therapy session?

Our Aquatic Therapy services are performed in heated outdoor pools to provide an ideal therapeutic environment.  It is recommended you wear a bathing suit that allows free range of motion.  Also it is recommended to bring water and apply sunscreen prior beginning your therapy session.

Aquatic therapy sessions are run by a licensed physical therapist or licensed physical therapy assistant.  An individualized therapeutic exercise program will be provided and modified as necessary.  The session starts with a warm-up and progresses into exercises that are designed to address your particular injury or ailment.

Most aquatic therapy sessions will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour based on your individual needs and tolerance. Our aquatic physical therapist will determine the length of your program.

For more details, watch our “What to Expect with Aquatic Therapy?” below. Contact us at 480-785-5415 to schedule your aquatic therapy session.

Welcome to our newest Intern Sydney Davis!

We are happy to have Sydney Davis, physical therapy assistant student, perform her clinical rotation with our Ahwatukee Foothills Physical Therapy clinic. Our clinic director, Dr. Sarah Thompson, PT, enjoys working with students and helping them prepare for their next career step. So you will often see these future clinicians working with her. Sydney joins us for her clinical rotation as she works towards her physical therapy assistant degree through Gateway Community College.

She started her career path at Grand Canyon University, where she acquired her bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science. During this time, she worked as a physical therapy technician in an outpatient clinic.

Sydney has been interning since the beginning of the year and our patients have really taken to working with her!

“I believe that physical therapy is a great tool for people to use for a better quality of life after an injury and being able to help people in the community.”